5 Ways to Stay Safe on Twitter

stay safe on twitterTwitter is getting better at taking care of its users when it comes to ensuring their privacy. Since 2010 we have been seeing steady progression from the folks over at Twitter trying to make it a site with minimum privacy attacks including those that are a result of cell phone spyware, PC monitoring software, and malware attacks by hackers, malware professionals, shadow corporations and other powerful players in the world of data surveillance.

In 2010 US regulation made sure that Twitter underwent independent security audits every year as well as begin scanning its links for malware and spyware. Since then Twitter is available on HTTPS, which is a secure connection for users. Twitter was also one of the first sites to offer Do Not Track option to its users. Additionally, Twitter bought Dasient, a security company, with the aim of ensuring protection against spam.
So Twitter has been doing its part to keep your account secure but you the user need to secure your end as well. Here are 5 ways that will ensure you safety from cyber scum.

Best Ways to Stay Safe on Twitter

1. Be on Your Guard

Always remember that no matter how safe a social networking site claims to be, the skills of hackers are always improving and new software developments mean that anyone on any site is liable to attack. This means that be aware of the safety of your account yourself and do not leave it up to Twitter to do everything themselves.

2. Keep Strong Passwords

It’s always advisable for you to keep long passwords which are a combination of letters and alphabets. More than that they should never be personal names, birthdates, or phone numbers. The ideal method is to keep a long password which consists of random lowercase as well as uppercase letters and numbers. Further, you should change your password regularly and make sure that you are the only person with access to it.

3. Be Prudent With Your Personal Information

It is obvious that if you are using a social networking site and creating a personal profile, personal information is going to be involved. But there are limits to what kind of personal information you should be comfortable sharing. For example, it is perfectly fine to share your likes and dislikes but a threat to safety if you share that your family is going on vacation leaving your home unattended. Anyone accessing your account can get this information and use it for a number of ways. Similarly, make sure you never divulge any credit card, medical, or social security related information.

4. Avoid Public PC’s

If you are using Twitter for Mobile then you should have anti-spyware and anti-malware on your phone and that ought to protect you from annoying apps trying to get your personal information. But if you are a PC user then show extra caution and do not use public computers. If absolutely necessary, then make sure you log out afterwards and remain wary of any strange links or messages you receive afterwards.

5. Strange Apps

Again, many third party apps claim to integrate with Twitter. The best practice here would be to avoid such apps, especially if they need your log in credentials to function ‘efficiently’.
Author Bio: Jessica has been writing about windows monitoring software for quite a bit of her career. Her articles have been a source of information for those looking to find out more about the latest Computer Spy Software and she’s helped many tackle their privacy and security issues along the way.